Paterno out of hospital; set to get back

August 10, 2011

STATE COLLEGE (AP) - Joe Paterno was released from the hospital Tuesday, two days after getting blindsided at Penn State practice by a player and injuring his right shoulder and pelvis.

The school said in a statement the 84-year-old coach was looking forward to returning to practice Wednesday.

"It's time for everyone to turn the attention to the team," Paterno said in the brief statement. "We have a lot of hard work ahead in order to be as good as we think we can be."

Penn State confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that no surgery was required for Paterno, and that "precautionary measures" were complete. The team did not offer any more details about the injuries.

He was back home by late morning. The Hall of Fame coach spoke with his assistants Tuesday as they prepared to lead two-a-day sessions.

After stopping by the house to check in on Paterno, son and quarterback coach Jay Paterno said he ended up instead getting a grilled about practice.

"He's fine. ... It turned into a little work session," Jay Paterno said with a chuckle earlier Tuesday in a phone interview. "I wish I was as tough as he is."

The latest health issue won't push his father into retirement, either.

"This is nothing more than a small blip on the radar," he said.

Paterno is major college football's career leader with 401 victories in 45 seasons as Penn State coach. His contract expires after the season, though he hasn't offered any clues as to when he might finally step down.

He also doesn't necessarily need something in writing to stay on the job. He said at Big Ten media day in Chicago last week he could coach another four or five years - a standard response he's given about the past couple decades.

Meticulous planning of the practice schedule means the assistants can run preseason drills without interruption, Jay Paterno said. The team was back at practice Monday, after JoePa held a teleconference with his assistants from the hospital.

But Paterno's health has become more of an issue in recent years, heightening the seemingly annual speculation of how long he would stick around. He broke his leg in a sideline collision during Penn State's game at Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in 2006.

Two years later, a hip injury forced him to spend much of the season coaching from the press box. He ran practices from a golf cart before having hip surgery after the season.

Jay Paterno said on Tuesday that his father's hip was fine.

During the 2010 offseason, Paterno had to scale back his personal appearances because of an intestinal issue and an adverse reaction to antibiotics prescribed for dental work. He also cut back on in-season obligations and taped segments instead of appearing live on a weekly radio show.

Until this week's setback, Paterno's health had seemingly improved over the last year, to the point where he had been regularly walking around town again. He promised to take more control calling plays this year, after the offense struggled in 2010.

Jay Paterno said his father remains as energetic as ever.

"Nothing has changed at all," Jay Paterno said. "Nothing is wrong with him, except being a little dinged up."